Removable hard disk drives are commonly used on micro and mini computers. Removable hard disk drive provide a convenient way to transport mass storage from one computer to another. The disk drive must be held firmly in place while it is in use due to the precision tolerances involved in reading a hard disk. It is, however, advantageous to be able to remove, reinsert and transport the disk drive quickly and easily. It is also important to provide a positive lock to hold the drive in place when in use, to provide a handle for carrying the drive, to provide means for aligning, engaging, and disengaging the drive's electrical connector against considerable resistance.
There are several mechanism for removably attaching disk drives to computers. Toreson U.S. Pat. No. 4,717,982 and Hanson U.S. Pat. No. 4,633,350 disclose some common approaches. The invention features a latch similar to that disclosed in Bisbing U.S. Pat. No. 4,230,351. A good description of many removable hard disk drives available for microcomputers can be found in "Removable Mass Storage: You Can Take It With You." PC Magazine, Sept. 13, 1988.